Chick-fil-A is known for its handcrafted food made fresh in each location's kitchen. The chicken, which will be Canadian sourced, is 100 per cent whole breast meat, without any fillers, hormones, or additives. Image Chick-fil-A

TORONTO -- Chick-fil-A, the #1 chicken restaurant in the United States, recently announced that it will open its doors in Toronto in 2019. These will be the company's first franchisee-owned restaurants outside of the United States.

"Toronto is a great city – with diverse and caring people and a vibrant restaurant culture with a deep talent pool," said Tim Tassopoulos, president and chief operating officer, Chick-fil-A. "These strengths align perfectly with Chick-fil-A's focus on community giving, delivering a premium product, and working with passionate people that can grow with our company – making Toronto the perfect choice for international expansion."

Chick-fil-A's restaurant owners are the secret sauce of the company's model, which is a differentiator in the quick service restaurant industry. Operators are full-time, hands-on business leaders who typically only own one restaurant. They are empowered to shape their restaurants from the front line every day, and their responsibilities include restaurant management, staff mentorship, and making choices about how best to serve the community. As a local small business owner, the Operator is incented to invest in talent through competitive pay and benefits along with training and leadership opportunities for staff.

Chick-fil-A is currently recruiting Operators for its Greater Toronto Area (GTA) locations offering a low economic barrier to entry for ownership ($15,000 CAD compared to $100,000 to $300,000 for many Canadian franchises). Sixty per cent of Chick-fil-A Operators come from within the company every year.

Chick-fil-A is focused on expansion in the GTA, with plans to open 15 stores in the next five years, creating 50 to 75 new jobs per location. The company has made a commitment to build long-standing partnerships with local suppliers and to find the perfect neighbourhoods in which to grow.

Premium Ingredients and Fresh, Handmade FoodChick-fil-A is known for its handcrafted food made fresh in each location's kitchen. The chicken, which will be Canadian sourced, is 100 per cent whole breast meat, without any fillers, hormones, or additives. Each chicken breast is hand-breaded to order and pressure cooked in 100 per cent refined peanut oil, which is naturally free of trans fat and cholesterol. Other popular items include biscuits made fresh throughout the morning, salads made from fresh vegetables, and fruit that is hand-chopped throughout the day. The lemonade is made from three simple ingredients: lemon juice, sugar, and water.

Commitment to Customer ServiceWith a longstanding tradition in the restaurant industry for setting the highest standards in customer service, Chick-fil-A recently earned a top spot in the 2017 Technomic Consumer Choice Awards for the third year in a row. The company has also earned recognition as one of America's top companies in the 2018 Harris Poll Reputation Quotient study, "Most Inspiring Companies" by Forbes Magazine, and "Top Fast Food Chicken Chain" by Consumer Reports, among other honours.

Chick-fil-A is one of only three food service companies on the Top 100 list of 2018 Best Places to Work in the United States (Glassdoor Employee Awards) because each of Chick-fil-A's 2,300 restaurants offers flexible hours, competitive pay and benefits, opportunities for leadership growth, and hands-on training and mentoring for all of its Team Members.